Block joins x402 Foundation and adds Bitcoin Lightning payments for AI agents
Block adds Bitcoin payments to a standard built for AI agents
Block has joined the x402 Foundation and added Bitcoin Lightning support to the x402 payment protocol. The company said the change expands its work on payments made by AI agents.
x402 is an open payment standard that lets AI agents and web services pay on their own for API access, data and digital services. (An API is a way for one piece of software to request data or services from another.) Lightning is a network built on top of Bitcoin that is used to move payments.
Block said Thursday that Lightning fits the low-cost, high-volume payments that agentic commerce will depend on. Agentic commerce means buying and selling handled by software agents rather than people.
Key points from the announcement
- Block joined the x402 Foundation.
- Block added Bitcoin Lightning support to x402.
- Block said Lightning suits the low-cost, high-volume payments agentic commerce will need.
- x402 allows AI agents and web services to pay autonomously for API access, data and digital services.
- Block joins Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Coinbase and the Solana Foundation in backing the x402 Foundation.
What Block said about Lightning and x402
In its announcement, Block said Lightning is suited to the low-cost, high-volume payments that agentic commerce will depend on.
Steve Lee, head of Block's Bitcoin development initiative Spiral, said: "Bringing Lightning to x402 is a concrete step toward making Bitcoin everyday money for people and the agents acting on their behalf, and we're excited to help the industry build on it."
Block also said the move builds on its participation in the Universal Commerce Protocol, an effort to enable AI-driven commerce for small businesses.
Who else is behind x402
Cointelegraph reported that Block joins Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and crypto companies including Coinbase and the Solana Foundation in backing the x402 Foundation. The foundation launched in April under the Linux Foundation.
What is confirmed
Block has joined the x402 Foundation and added Bitcoin Lightning support to x402, according to Block's announcement. Block stated that Lightning is suited to low-cost, high-volume payments for agentic commerce. The x402 Foundation counts Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Coinbase and the Solana Foundation among its backers, and it launched in April under the Linux Foundation.
What is still unclear
The supplied material does not explain how the Lightning integration works in practice, when it will be available, or which services will use it. No timeline for further steps was given.
Why it matters for crypto payments
x402 is designed for a type of commerce where software, not people, makes the payment. Support from large technology and crypto companies matters because a payment standard is only useful if many services accept it. By adding Lightning, Block is positioning Bitcoin's payment network for small, frequent transactions of the kind agentic commerce is expected to generate.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.